Spirituality is lived differently across the United States, India, and China, though certain themes appear universally. Analyzing responses from 6,112 participants (41% women, mean age 29, range 18–75) and focusing on a subset of 900, the study identified five major thematic categories: religion, contemplative practice, ancestors, the natural world, and metaphysical phenomena. The metaphysical category included extrasensory perception, psychokinesis, survival-related experiences (near-death and out-of-body experiences, apparitions), and faith or energy healing. Cultural context shapes both the prevalence and specific forms these spiritual experiences take.
Five universal dimensions of spirituality—love, unifying interconnectedness, altruism, contemplative practice, and religious and spiritual reflection and commitment—were identified across China, India, and the United States. Love, interconnectedness, and altruism were associated with lower risk of depression, suicidal ideation, generalized anxiety, and substance-related disorders in all three countries. Religious and spiritual reflection and commitment and contemplative practice were linked to lower risk in India and the United States but to greater risk in China. Education correlated positively with spiritual awareness in India and China but negatively in the United States. The findings suggest spirituality is a universal phenomenon with dimensions that may offer protective effects against psychiatric conditions.